SOCIAL, MORAL, SPIRITUAL & CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
SMSC at RIA is underpinned by our Islamic ethos and mission statement. At RIA we empower our pupils to be the best version of themselves by focussing on the development of their sense of identity, self-worth, personal and moral values, aspirations and achievements. We also focus on the development of a student’s spirituality and empathy and understanding of others around them through a variety of means.
By enabling students to build a framework of moral values aligned with law, which regulates their personal behaviour, we aim to develop students’ understanding of society’s shared and agreed values. We encourage them to understand that there are issues where there is disagreement but that also there needs to be an understanding that society’s values change. Students are encouraged to be reflective of the diverse nature of society, developing their understanding and respect for those with different religions, beliefs and ways of life.
Our pupils seek to become active and responsible citizens by working effectively with each other and participating successfully in the community as a whole. We encourage them in their development of the skills and personal qualities necessary for living and working together in harmony and making a positive contribution to the school community and wider society.
Students at RIA know this is about functioning effectively in a multi-racial, multi-cultural society and developing into a tolerant and helpful human being. We encourage the understanding that this involves growth in knowledge and understanding of the society in all its aspects. This includes our student’s needs to understand people as well as understanding society’s institutions, structures and characteristics, economic and political principles and organisations, roles and responsibilities, and life as a citizen, parent or worker in a community. We actively encourage the development of the inter-personal skills necessary for successful relationships.
We help pupils to develop an understanding of their own culture and other cultures in their town, region and in the country as a whole. Students have an understanding of cultures represented in Europe and elsewhere in the world. Students know that this is about understanding and feeling comfortable in a variety of cultures and being able to operate in the emerging world culture of shared experiences provided by television, art, theatre, travel and the internet. Students realise that this is about understanding that cultures are always changing and are prepared to cope with change. Promoting pupils’ cultural development is intimately linked with schools’ attempts to value cultural diversity and prevent racism.
We actively encourage and have created a bespoke programme within our daily form time and assemblies to address Social Moral Spiritual Cultural (SMSC) development. Assembly themes include the community, culture, personal qualities and skills, values, beliefs and appreciation. We have developed themes and an assembly thematic cycle to support this.